Sap-gathering tank.



J. & H-. CLARK. SAP GATHERING TANK. APPLICATION FILED SEPT.11 1909,

967,499. Patented Aug. 16,1910.

f 91;; i d .9 LI': .M J

\w i W MM Q w 99- wmom JOSEPH CLARK AND HENRY CLARK, OF RICI-IFORD,VERMONT.

SAP-GATHERING TANK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 16, 1910.

Application filed September 11, 1909. Serial No. 517,244.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOSEPH CLARK and HENRY CLARK, of the town ofRichford, county of Franklin, State of Vermont, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Sap-Gathering Tanks, of which thefollowing is a full and clear description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of atank constructed in accordance with our invention; Fig. 2 a verticallongitudinal sectional view of the same; and Fig. 3 a fragmentaryvertical sectional view of a portion of the side wall of the tank andits hopper.

The object of this invention is to improve and simplify that class ofportable tanks especially adapted for transporting sap from the sugarorchard to the boiling place, the special object of our presentconstruction being to prevent the sap slopping over both while it isbeing poured into the tank from the sap buckets in the orchard and alsowhile it is being transported from the orchard to the boiler as morefully hereinafter set forth.

Referring to the drawings by referencecharacters, a designates the mainportion of the tank which is preferably oblong in shape and is providedat one end with a spout I) screwed to a nipple 0 attached to the tank soas to adapt it to be turned down to a horizontal position when the sapis to be drawn off and run into the boiler. A suitable hook d is pivotedto the top edge of the tank and is adapted to detachably connect with aneye in a ring 6 attached to the spout, to hold the spout temporarily inan upright position.

The two sections f of the top wall proper of the tank extend inwardlyfrom the ends thereof about one-fourth the length of the tank, andbetween the inner edges of these sections f and the side walls of thetank is mounted a hopper designated generally by the letter g. Thebottom wall it of this hopper inclines downwardly and inwardly to acentral opening down through which is inserted a removable tube a openat both ends and suitably perforated, the lower end end of this tubebeing held by an annular flange on the bottom of the tank and its upperend held in place by the edge ofthe hopper-opening. Set down in the openend of this tube is a depending conical strainer 70 which is adapted tobe readily removed. This strainer catches the solid foreign matters, andthe tube 71 serves to prevent the splashing of the sap from dislodgingthe strainer. The outer edges of the bottom wall it are extendedupwardly on all four sides to form the side walls Z of the hopper 9,these side walls being fastened to the adjacent edges of the top orcover sections f and also to the opposite side walls of the main tank.These side walls are also extended upwardly above the top walls of thetank and are inclined upwardly toward each other, so that each of theseside walls of the hopper overhangs the bottom wall proper it of thehopper.

It will be observed that a hopper constructed as shown and describedprevents the sap splashing or slopping over in any direction when it ispoured into the hopper from the sap buckets, so that the sap gatherermay pour the sap into the hopper from anypoint and without takingspecial pains to avoid wasting the sap by slopping over the edges of thehopper guards Z. These guards Z also prevent sap splashing out when thetank is being transported to the boiler and the tank is suflicientlyfull to have its level lie up in the hopper.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A sap gathering tank of the class set forth having its top wallextending inwardly from its ends a portion of the length of the tank anda hopper formed between the ends of said top walls and the side walls ofthe tank and connected thereto all around, said hopper having a bottominclining downwardly and inwardly from the sides as well as the ends andalso guard flanges or walls at its edge extending all around its edgeand upwardly above the top wall of the tank and inclining toward eachother so as to overhang the bottom of the hopper, a splash tubedepending from a central opening in the hopper bottom, and a removablescreen in said splash tube.

2. A sap gathering tank of theclass set forth having its top wallextending inwardly from its ends a portion of the length of the tank anda hopper formed between the ends of said top walls and the side walls ofthe tank, said hopper having a bottom inclining downwardly and inwardlyfrom the sides as Well as the ends and also guard flanges or walls atits edge extending all around its edge and upwardly above the top wallof the tank and inclining toward each other so as to overhang the bottomof the hopper, said guard flanges or walls being supported and attachedto-the side walls and the inner edges of the end portions of the topwall and being constructed of sheet metal folded 10 upon itself to forma two-ply flange and a strainer supported within the central opening ofthe hopper.

In testimony whereof, we have signed this specification in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH CLARK. HENRY CLARK. YVitnesses VVALLAoE B. LocKLIN, PHILIPLOCKLIN.

